Cruise Plus
A Grand 12 Day Egyptian Adventure
Board Luxor

A Grand 12 Day Tour - Here's the best of Egypt : an extended stay in Cairo , a 5-day cruise along the Nile , a hotel stay in Luxor or Aswan , and a tour of the Mighty Abu Simbel Temples
We have even included all the tips. No Hidden Charges . No additional tax

Tour Starts DAILY in Cairo - Arrive any day of the week

DAY 2 - CAIRO (BLD)
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private guide, private chauffeur.
On your first full day in Egypt we show you the Egyptian Museum, including the " Mummies Room" , King Tut's Gold and Treasure Room , lunch is included at Naguib Mahfouz restaurant , or Abu El-Sid restaurant , after lunch tour the Citadel of Saladin, Mohammed Ali Mosque, made of alabaster, El Rifai Mosque , then enjoy a guided leisurely treasure hunt walk through the legendary 11-century Khan El-Khalili Bazaar district . Dinner cruise and folk show on board Hyatt Cruise

DAY 3 - CAIRO- Giza (BLD)
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private guide, private chauffeur.
After breakfast we drive to the edge of the Sahara and into Giza :
Tour the Pyramids of Giza, Cheops Royal Barge Museum , and the Sphinx, lunch is included at the Mena House. Camel ride is included with our compliments, yet time is very limited, treat as a photo opportunity : the famous shot with the Pyramids in the background. After which we head for Coptic Cairo : The Coptic Museum , the Moalaka Church , Beni-Ezra Synagogue and the spot where it is believed that "Baby Moses " was found by the Pharaoh's Queen. Dinner is included at La Bodega restaurant

DAY 4 - CAIRO - Fayoum Oases (BLD)
On Desert Safari for the Day - Fayoum Oases - And you thought the Pyramids were old , Saturday
Private air-conditioned vehicle, private guide, private chauffeur.
We leave Cairo by sunrise ( private air conditioned car/driver/guide): Full day Fayoum Oases including:
Hawara Pyramid, El Lahoun Pyramid, Ruins of Karanis, drive by Lake Qarun, lunch is included at a local restaurant.

The wilds of the desert begin right on the outskirts of Cairo, and continue for hundreds of miles to the east and west, through sands, rock, mountains, oases, and a surprising variety of scenery and inhabitants.

Join us for a day ranging across the desert like modern nomads. In place of camels, we’ll travel in comfortable, reliable four-by-four Toyota Land Cruisers. Your guide and drivers will meet you at your hotel, and soon you’ll leave bustling Cairo behind as you undertake the drive toward the Oasis of El Fayoum, 150 kilometers to the southwest. Hard as it is to believe, a great inland sea once covered these sands. It was a holy reserve of sacred crocodiles, symbolized by the god Sobek.

We’ll visit the temple of Kom Oshim, drive over ancient lake beds, and alongside the waters of today’s Fayoum Lake to reach the fishermen’s village of Chak Chouk. There we’ll stop for a lunch of fish caught fresh that morning. There will be time to wander the village lanes and discreetly watch the everyday activities of baking flatbread, irrigating crops from the lake’s waters, and bringing in the catch. We’ll also include the craft and pottery museum where the best works of local artisans are on display.

Then it’s into our four-by-fours again, for an off-road adventure! We’ll head alongside and across desert washes, between dunes, and over ancient lake beds for 35 kilometers to the Valley of the Whales ( In Arabic : Wadi-El-Hitan) . Incredibly, these great mammals once thrived - almost forty million years ago- in waters surrounded by sands. We’ll stop and gaze in amazement at their fossilized remains alongside smaller sea creatures that remain in stone.
This valley was discovered in 1936 , by the German geologist George Schweinfurth in the northwestern corner of Wadi El-Rayan.

The valley provides evidence of one of the major changes in this mammal evolution has been declared by the UNESCO to be a World Heritage Site. It is believed that these land based whales once had feet that may have helped them somewhat while ashore . A team from the University of Michigan discovered in the late 80's that these Zeuglodon whales did have rudimentary feet , this was a startling discovery , suggesting that whales of Wadi -El-Hitan had recently started living in water as well , these whales were not related to any of the whales we have today , rather a more slender body and may grow up to 75 feet long. Several skeletons of whales are exposed in the sand. George Schweinfurth named this extinct specie the Zeuglodon Isis Whales .

In the evening, you’ll return to your hotel in Cairo. Land transportation in air-conditioned four-wheel-drive Toyota Land Cruiser with the services of driver and English-speaking driver. Lunch is included at a local restaurant. Dinner is included at the hotel.

DAY 5 - LUXOR ! ( or Aswan ) (BD)
We fly to LUXOR , our local rep will assist with your transfer to your hotel. Brief stop at the hotel to freshen up and grab a cup of coffee or tea with our compliments, then head off to the Luxor Museum. Then on to the West Bank : tour of Deir El Medina, Medinet Habu and the Ramesseum . Afterward, we'll continue on Luxor's west bank to get a totally different perspective on ancient Egyptian life, at the ancient workers' settlement of Deir el-Medinah. While most of the imposing stone monuments and sites of Egypt honor the lives and after-lives of royalty, Deir el-Medinah gives us unique and surprising insights into the ordinary citizens who constructed and decorated the tombs.

Here we'll see the excavated homes shared by laborers with their domestic animals. These quarters were surprisingly large, with three good-sized rooms, courtyard, kitchen, and even storage cellars. While ancient Egypt might not have been a workers' paradise, we'll see that artisans and builders were highly regarded in their community. We are proud to be the only operator to offer regular visits to this singular ancient settlement in its tour and cruise programs.
In the evening your guide will call on you for a horse drawn carriage ride throughout Luxor bazaar and souks. Dinner is included at the hotel . For guests who prefer a cruise on board a Deluxe Dahabiya sailing Cruise , please click here

DAY 6 - LUXOR- Board Your Nile Cruise (BLD)
After a leisure breakfast, we assist with your transfer to board our Nile cruiser in time for a delicious lunch. Complimentary welcome fruit basket awaits you in your cabin .The gigantic Great Temple of Amon at Karnak, and the mighty Temple of Luxor are our goals in the afternoon. We'll return in time for the afternoon tea served on deck. You'll have a chance to explore your ship before dinner. Evening Sound and light show at Karnak .

DAY 7 - LUXOR , EDFU (BLD)
We tour today as well the magnificent tombs in the Valley of the Kings including Tut-Ank-Amon's tomb and the great temple of Queen Hatshepsut, we stop at the Colossi of Memnon on the way back to our cruise. We sail in the afternoon we cruise to Esna to go through the locks , and on to Edfu where we dock for the night. In the evening , we'll celebrate in Egyptian style, dressed in galabias, the flowing national costume, a galabya will be delivered to your cabin with our compliments)

Day 8 - EDFU, KOM OMBO (BLD)
We moor in Edfu, climb aboard horse-drawn carriages, and clip-clop through the town to the Temple of Horus, Egypt's best-preserved temple. Re-embarking on our Nile cruiser, we enjoy lunch as we sail further south upriver . We disembark downstream at Kom Ombo to visit its twin temples of Haroeris, the sun god, and Sobek, the crocodile god, the continue our voyage to Aswan, while we party after dinner with music & dance.

DAY 9 - ASWAN (BLD)
First we tour Aswan dams, and next an ancient granite quarry complete with an unfinished obelisk. Then we go by motor launch to the Island temple of Philae , dedicated to the Ancient Goddess ISIS .

Our farewell dinner this evening is a buffet of Egyptian specialties, followed by a show featuring oriental performers, including of course a belly dancer.

DAY 10 - Abu Simbel - Private Egyptologist - Drive back to Aswan (B)
We check out after breakfast. Lunch Box will be prepared by your chef
Ramses the Great's huge desert temple at Abu Simbel marked the southern border of the pharaoh's dominions. Rescued from the rising waters of Lake Nasser by an international effort, it is a marvel of sacred engineering. Twice a year‹and only then the sun penetrates to the Holy of Holies, illuminating the stone figures of Ramses and Nefertari.

We fly over Lake Nasser heading south for Abu Simbel and deep into Nubia . In Abu Simbel : your private air-conditioned vehicle , private guide will be waiting for you . We explore the huge temples , admire its ancient aura and artistry, then head back to the airport and fly back to Cairo and your hotel .

DAY 11 - CAIRO (BD)
Full day at leisure. Yet you 'll have a private air-conditioned vehicle and private chauffeur at your disposal for 4 hours today for shopping or just exploring the city as you wish. ( must book this feature with us in advance)

A complimentary Dinner is included at a local home: This is not a " touristy thing" as some callers have inquired , this a genuine effort on our part to have a "people to people " approach away from the stereo type media images, and to allow you to meet some local families, Egyptians , Arabs etc.

Meet the locals, you may wish to bring token gifts to exchange with the host family ( T shirt , small souvenirs of your home town):
This evening we'll venture where few ordinary visitors ever tread . . . right into the homes of some of the people of Cairo ! You'll be invited to a family dinner, and while you enjoy wholesome home-cooked specialties, you'll learn about and appreciate the outlook, aspirations, and way of life of your hosts. Be assured, as curious as you may be about your new friends, they're sure to have questions about your own background. Once the ice is broken, you'll enjoy a lively evening, and find that you have more in common than you ever suspected. Of course, you may enjoy dinner in a quiet restaurant with your travel companions, by letting us know your preferences. All transfers and tours are always on a private basis .

DAY 12 - CAIRO- Departure (B)
Our representative escorts you to the airport for your homeward flight.

RATES per person in USD $

• For Dec 17 - Jan 5, Easter , please add %20 supplement to any of the listed rates.

• Private touring on board the cruise: Please add $ 250 per person for the full cruise/shore excursions.
  
  

Rates include:

• All airfares and transfers within Egypt.
  
• Hotel accommodation with tax & service charges.
  
• Nile Cruise with all meals & shore excursions.
  
• Preset menu meals including B = Breakfast, (or cB, Continental Breakfast) L = Lunch, D = Dinner .
  
• All guided sightseeing as per itinerary including all entrance fees.
  Private touring in Cairo and Abu Simbel : Private air-conditioned vehicle, private guide, private chauffeur.
  While on board the cruise you'll be part of an average 10-15 English speaking group.

• All tips to porters , drivers, restaurants, crew on board your cruise and the guides.
  
• All transfers in Egypt, always on a Private basis, your private vehicle is always an air-conditioned one.
  
  
• A complimentary home hosted family dinner in Cairo.

Not included:

• International airfares to or from Cairo.
• Travel Insurance

• Visa maybe issued upon arrival at Cairo Airport for a limited number of citizens such as : American, EU , Canadian , EU Singaporean and Japanese citizens. You are responsible for having your passport in order valid at least for 6 month beyond the date of your arrival in Cairo.

More choices :

• Add a tour of Dubai, United Arab Emirates.

• Honeymooners , Private Parties ? Ask for a Private Sailing felucca Dahabiya cruise on board the Royal Cleopatra .

• Honeymoon Egypt : with an extended stay in Sharm El Sheikh

• The Ultra Deluxe with Four Seasons Hotel

• The 10 days, 11 Day , 12 Day with extended stay in Luxor or Aswan .

• Add: Abu Simbel

• Add Petra A La Indiana Jones

• Add Dendera & Abydos Temples .

• Egypt in a Week and Santorini in Greece

• For Special Anniversary Honeymoon Wedding Party on board a smaller Dahabiya sailing boat . Please click here

• Compare with the 2 Weeks edition ,   or the 9 days ,

• Compare with this dream Honeymoon Egypt Vacation : with an extended stay in Sharm El Sheikh on the Red Sea